Protect

Protect broadens the series beyond girls. Abuse does not happen only to girls. It happens to boys, and to children across ethnicities and ages. For Essebes, the question became increasingly direct: why are the rich and powerful so capable of being protected while children remain vulnerable? The blue eyes represent innocence. The goggles and headphones become protection. Protect the kids.

2026 · Oil on canvas

11 × 14 × 0.75 in (27.9 × 35.6 × 1.9 cm)

Signed · Unframed

Certificate of originality included

Details in this painting

Blue eyes: Innocence and witness. The blue eyes keep the child at the center of the question the series asks: who is protecting the children?
Goggles: Protection. Here the protective gear becomes particularly explicit — armor around innocence.
Headphones: Shielding. Another layer of attempted protection between the child and the outside world.
Green mark: Armor and protest. Protection becomes part of the painting’s visible protest language.
Red mark: What gets through. The mark represents what can still reach a child despite attempts at shielding and protection.

Available original — inquire about this artwork →

The Whole World Is Watching

An ongoing protest series by Essebes about innocence, witness and the responsibility to protect children.

Explore the full series →